This invention relates generally to ice skate blade covers and guards. More particularly, the present invention relates to an ice skate scabbard which is readily attachable to the blade of various sizes of ice skates.
Ice skate blade guards are typically made of stiff hard rubber and are stretched over a blade of an ice skate. The guards are used to protect the blade of the skate from damage as the skater walks over the ground to the ice skating area. They are also used to protect the skater from injury when carrying the skates. Such blade guards are bulky and can not be readily stored in the skater""s pocket, and, if they are left on the ground, they are often lost or stolen. Furthermore, the stiff hard rubber guards allow water to accumulate in the blade track which causes the blade to rust, discolor or become dull. Also, the dimensions of the rubber guards limits their use for covering different blade sizes, requiring a skater to purchase various guards for each size skate. This is a problem particularly for children who rapidly outgrow their skates.
Some ice skate blade covers utilize two pieces made of plastic material with fastening means, such as springs or straps and clips which fasten the skate blade guards to the ice skate blades. These are cumbersome, dangerous to walk on, inconvenient to use and costly to purchase.
Another type of ice skate blade cover is a bag-like cover which is soft and which has an elastic member completely enclosed in a hem extending about an opening in the bag. In use, the bag is stretched over the blade to cover it. Such a blade cover is widely used by skaters who skate on indoor rinks and do not typically walk on the ground, rather they remove the bag cover immediately prior to use and do so, adjacent the ice. However, many skaters often do walk, even for a small distance, on their covered skate blades to the ice. The bag, is often cut through by the sharp blade edges and becomes damaged. Another problem with this design is that it can not fit a wide variety of skate sizes without modification; also the elastic member, after prolonged use, loses it""s elasticity and the bag no longer fits over the blade snugly and often falls off leaving the sharp blade edges dangerously exposed. To adapt such a design to fit over a larger or over a smaller size blade, a user typically must cut the hem open and sever the elastic member. Next, they must stretch the mutilated bag and the elastic member, often to extreme limits, and then physically tie the ends of the damaged elastic member together in an attempt to fit the bag onto a slightly different blade size. Unless this is done carefully, the bag typically does not properly fit the particular blade. Later, when another size blade requires covering, the process must be repeated at the risk of weakening the materials and doing further damage to the bag. This is an undesirable, frustrating and very time consuming way to cover a blade.
A practical ice skate scabbard, for which there is an unfulfilled need, wherein the ice skate scabbard is capable of being selectively usable for a size range of ice skate blade applications, without modification, and one which protects the blade and the skater from cuts and one which prevents damage to the ice skate scabbard is not available.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,999 to Lehr shows a flexible skateguard with a pouch of flexible material which attaches to an opening between the ice skate shoe and the blade of an ice skate with hook and loop type fasteners. A disadvantage of this design is that the skateguard attachment relies on an opening which may be inaccessible or limited on a particular ice skate design. Another disadvantage is that no provision is provided for size adjustment without modification and the skateguard can not be used for covering the blades of other sizes of ice skate blades other than a particular ice skate blade for which it was specifically designed. A user would have to purchase additional skateguards for each and every ice skate which is costly.
None of the above prior art devices disclose an ice skate scabbard which has a pouch having a top opening for receiving the blade of the ice skate; layers of materials which protect the blade and prevent puncture by the sharp blade edges and prevent injury to the user; drawstring means for adjustably fitting the pouch about the blade of various sizes of ice skates so that the ice skate blade is protectively covered when the ice skate is carried by a user and when the ice skate is stored; means for securing the drawstring means so that the pouch is releasably secured about the blade of the ice skate; and an ice skate scabbard which is simple in design and is easy to use.
In view of the above mentioned problems and limitations associated with conventional ice skate blade covers and guards, it was recognized by the present inventor that there is an unfulfilled need for an improved ice skate scabbard which fits various skate sizes without modification, is simple in design, practical, fun to use and is economically manufactured and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved scabbard for receiving a blade of an ice skate which is conveniently usable for covering the blades of various ice skate sizes which avoids the aforementioned problems of prior art devices.
It is an object of the instant invention to provide a scabbard which may be manufactured from readily available materials by conventional manufacturing processes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a scabbard that is simple in design, simple to manufacture, low in cost and fun to use.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a scabbard which has a pouch having a top opening for receiving the blade of the ice skate with layers of materials which protect the blade and prevent puncture by the sharp blade edges and prevent injury to the user.
It is another object of this invention to provide a scabbard which provides a drawstring means for adjustably fitting the pouch about the blade of various sizes of ice skates so that the ice skate blade is protectively, covered when the ice skate is carried by a user and when the ice skate a is stored.
It is a still a further object of this invention to provide a scabbard which has means for securing the drawstring means so that the pouch is releasably secured about the blade of the ice skate.
Further objects will become apparent from the following description and claims.
This invention results from the realization that there is a great need for an improved ice skate scabbard. The resulting invention provides a user the capability of conveniently being able to cover the blade of an ice skate without the need to purchase separate scabbards for each size of ice skate.
The above and the other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention, which, according to a first aspect, provides a scabbard for receiving a blade of an ice skate, which has a pouch having a top opening for receiving the blade of the ice skate; an inner portion of moisture absorbent material; an outer portion of flexible material and a friction enhancing material disposed on the outer portion along a bottom of the pouch and extending from a first end to a second end of the pouch and extending through the top opening into the pouch interior at each end and drawstring means for adjustably fitting the pouch about the blade of the ice skate so that the ice skate blade is protectively covered when the ice skate is carried by a user and when the ice skate is stored.
The second aspect is a special case of the first aspect of this invention with additional features such as an intermediate portion of cushioning material disposed between the inner portion of moisture absorbent material of the pouch and the outer portion of flexible material of the pouch. Also, the drawstring means comprises a hem, extending about the top opening of the pouch; a cord member, disposed within the hem with a portion of the cord member including a first end and a second end of the cord member being exposed, and a cord lock, for slidably adjusting the size of the pouch, disposed on the exposed cord member portion near the first end and the second end of the cord member so that when the blade is inserted into the pouch, the scabbard is releasably secured about the ice skate blade. Ventilation ports are included to facilitate evaporation of moisture.
According to a third aspect of the invention, disclosed is a method for using a scabbard for an ice skate.